Rip-strip can opener



,1. F. PECKHAM 4 2,258,622

RIP-STRIP CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 22, 19:58

INVENIYOR. Jsz'a 'fl/ e 0/5.?0992 A TTDRNEYS.

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 RIP-STRIP can OPENER Latharn, Providence,

, Application August 22, 1938, Serial No. 226,156.

3 Claims. (o1. 220-54 This invention relates to a' can, and has for one of its objects to provide an opening device which. maybe placed upon the regular standard type of can without any alteration of the shape of either the top or. cover-or the can body itself.

Another pbject of the invention is to provide an opener which may be applied to thecan after the can is sealed and the food therein processed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an opener which maybe applied to the can at the time-the can is closed if; desired and before processed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an opener which will be inexpensive and one which may be applied at a minimumlexpense.

Another object of the invention is to provide an opener which when applied will not disturb the lacquer or other lining of thecanfor preventing chemical action betweenthe contents of the can and the can itself.

Another object of the invention is to provide an opening device which has no joints which are liable to leak due to pressures which may be developed from. the process of the contents of the can.

Another object; of the invention is to provide an openingdevice which will be permanently a part of the canwhen-iassembled therewith and may readilyjat as When desired. V 7 I With these and otherobjects in view,the invention consists of certain" novel features of constructionyas will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top planview of the can top with my opener thereon;

Fig. 2 is 'a similar view showing the rip strip after its initial severing; I

,Fig. 3' is a sectional view en substantially line 33ofFig.1; 1

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective view showing the relation of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental perspective view with the handle device removed;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view illustrating in greater detail the securing of the handle in position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating a modified arrangement of scoring of the can top.

Various rip strip and wire rip can openers have been provided which have different disadvantages such as inability to use the standard a handle for opening the can type of can top resulting in increased expense, difiiculty with pressures developed in the cans during processing, difiiculty of opening, either from the standpoint of strength or because of some faults of some of the parts or other ob- J'ections; and in orderto overcome thedisadvantages which are present inthis type of can opener, I have. arranged that the opener may be applied to the standard type'of can .top of any size or shape now in use without altering its present shape or requiring special dies for its manufacture and have provided a rip strip in a location in which the scoring to provide the rip strip is in the can top and may be positioned therein before the cantop is applied to the can or after the top is applied and inposition on the can to close the same after the food is processed; and I have arranged an opening handle which may be applied at any point along the strip and II have formed, at the time the handle is applied or just after, ,a score adjacent the location of the handle so that registering of a handle in some location on the can need not be had; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illus vtrating the preferred means. by which these advantageousresults may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, 10 designates the vertical wallof a can and -II the top which is applied thereto. The top ,H. and can I!) are Trolled together for sealing as at l2 in a usual manner which leaves a vertical can top wall l4 extending along a portion of the vertical can wall l5 and it is .in this vertical wall l4 that I desire to provide the scorings for the rip strip. These scorings are provided at 16 and 11 which are spaced apart to provide the rip strip l8 between them. The scorings extend circularly about the can top at a location just. below the top rolled edge I9 and the closing web portion 20 of the can top. The usual expansion ring 2| is provided in this web.

This scoring will be preferably applied from the outer surface 22 of the can top, although as indicated at 23 and 24 in Fig. 7 I may apply these scorings from the inside of the can top before the can top is applied to the can. In this case the scorings of course will not show when the can is closed. .These scorings when applied from the outside clearly will not interfere with any lacquer or surface coating on the inside of the can or can top. I find that when these scorings are applied by pressure such as at23 and 24 on the inside they likewise do not interfere with the inside lacquer surface of the can and further these scorings are covered and none of the contents of the can can enter the location of these scorings because of the tight relationship caused by the rolling of the can top and can wall as at l2.

Scoring the vertical wall It as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive after the top is assembled on the can affords a means of providing this opener on any can marketed at the present time regardless of its shape or size, as this rip strip may be impressed after the food is processed in the can. By this arrangement cans now in stock may be equipped with this rip device optionally by a simple additional operation. In other cases the operation of scoring the can top may be caused to occur when the top is rolled into sealed position on the can.

In order to effectively utilize this rip strip I8 which I have thus formed, I provide a handle which is in the shape shown in Fig. 2 having a shank 26 ,with a footportion 21 and a loop finger portion 28. .Thisfoot has two projections 29 ping or opening operation; and it might be here noted that the current does not pass through the lacquer or disturb the inner lacquer surface in any manner. V

In order that the rip strip may be more easily started at the time of welding or just after welding and after therhandlehas been located, some device is provided for forming a vertical score line 3| extending between the score lines 16 and I! so that it is merely necessaryfora person operating the handle to apply pressure at the arrow 32 and arrow 33 such as may be exerted times which is most suitable for the travel of the can at the factory.

The foregoing description is directed towards the method and construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilegeof resorting to all the equivalent changes to which the construction and method are susceptible, the invention beingdefined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims. 7

:I claim:

1. A sheet metal can having, an upstanding wall, a cover having means securing it to the can and having a closing end wall below the upper end of said upstanding wall with a flange extending along said wall in contact throughout with the inner surface thereof, said flange being provided with spaced score lines therein vertically spaced from the end wall and from each other extending peripherally along the flange on the portion in contact with the inner surface of said wall and completely about the same to provide a rip strip between them, unbroken in its peripheral extent of the can, said flange and. portion of upstanding wall along which it extends being outwardly flared to an extent such that the inner score line is of a diameter sufficiently less than the outer score line to permit the cover to be withdrawn from the top after severing, and a handle attached to the rip strip for pulling the same.

2. A sheet metal can having an upstanding wall, a cover having means securing it to the can and having a closing end wall below the upper end of said upstanding wall with a flange extending along said wall in contact throughout with the inner surface thereof, said flange being provided with vertically spacedrscore lines therein, extending peripherally along the flange on the portion in contact with the inner surface of said wall and completely about the same to provide a rip strip between them, unbroken in its peripheral extent of the can, said flange and portion of upstanding wall along which it extends being outwardly flared, the angle of said flare, width of said rip strip and thickness of the stock thereof being so proportioned as to permit the cover to be withdrawn after severing of the top by the rip strip, and a handle attached at. the initial end of the rip strip by spot welding at spaced points for pulling the rip strip. 7 3. A-sheet metal can having an upstandin wall, a cover having means securing it to the can and having a closing end wall below the upper end of said upstanding wall with a flange extending along said wall in contact throughout with the inner'surface thereof, said flange being provided with vertically spaced score lines therein, extending peripherally along the flange on the portion in contact with the inner surface of said wall and completely about the same to provide a rip strip between them, unbroken in its peripheral extent of the can, said flange and portion of upstanding wall along which it extends being outwardly flared, the angle of said flare, width of said rip strip and thickness of the stock thereof being so proportioned as to permit the cover to be withdrawn after severing of the top by the rip strip, and a key having an L-shaped foot and a handle portion, the L-shaped foot being attached at its junction with the handle portion at the initial end of the rip strip and having its foot attached to said'rip strip at a point spaced therefrom peripherally of the can, said key projecting at an angle to the rip strip inwardly therefrom.

JOSIAH F. PECKHAM. 

